


out of the darkness, into the hollow

by belgiques



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Team Feels, Trip Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-22
Updated: 2016-03-22
Packaged: 2018-05-28 09:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6324313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/belgiques/pseuds/belgiques
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the team comes face to face with the General, they never could've predicted how familiar he would be.</p><p>Speculation for episode 3x13.</p>
            </blockquote>





	out of the darkness, into the hollow

**Author's Note:**

> What I hope will happen in tonight's episode. I wanted to finish this before it aired, but I'm Belgian and so it might not be as good as I wanted it to after today's events. Writing this did make me feel better, so I hope you enjoy it.

"It's time to let the General loose", Malick said ominously, and the men surrounding him grew fearful. Bobbi and Hunter could hear the silence that followed that statement from where they were hiding, and they looked at each other in alarm.

"Who in the bloody hell will that be?" Lance asked in exasperation, suspecting what Bobbi would reply.

"I'm putting my money on another Inhuman," she said ruefully, firing up her batons. If Malick was calling in the big guns, he'd probably found out that everyone was here. "Time to move."

As Hunter led the way to the rendezvous point, they failed to hear Malick chuckle darkly. "We will definitely have the element of suprise. They will be their own undoing."

\---

Slowly, gradually, but then all at once, reality came crashing back to him. He no longer felt cold, and his skin was dry. Opening his eyes, he saw that man again. Malick. His mind was overcome by a series of flashing images—a bird, people laughing, a gust of wind, a brown-haired woman smirking at him, his vision turning blurry and then black—which he couldn't immediately process. Malick was talking to him, but it took a few moments for him to realize it.

"I have an assignment for you," he said bluntly, in a tone that left no room for argument. That didn't sit well with him, even though he knew he was obligated to follow his orders.

He slowly straightened up and flexed his hands, relaxing the stiff muscles. He fixed his gaze onto the man across from him, and for an instant, he saw him reflexively backing away. That gave him an edge. Deciding to not use this leverage until he could get something out of it, he nodded in understanding.

"There are people here who have it out for me. They will probably try to kill me. I need you to take them out first."

"That shouldn't be a problem," he replied slowly, confidently.

Malick chuckled. "Normally, that would be the case. But they have people like you. Don't underestimate them. I've made that mistake and I will not do it again."

He was handed a small screen with a GPS tracker dot flickering red. "Go. Report back when it's done."

He got up and felt that familiar tingling feeling when he walked through the wall, in search of his next targets.

\---

An alarm started blaring and Daisy knew they were in serious trouble. So far for the element of surprise. She shared a look with Bobbi, who had her batons at the ready. Daisy tried to clear her mind, also on high alert. Coulson urged them to go faster, spreading out along the corridor to take out any possible assailants.

Hunter and Joey were at the head of the group, watching carefully. Daisy was still rattled, remembering the footage from the DWARFS. This Inhuman was quick and strong—faster than Elena and seemingly even stronger than Lash, given that he'd thrown around a couple of security guards like rag dolls when he was not particularly huge in build. She just hoped that their combined powers would be enough to withstand his.

Suddenly, a beeping came from Fitz' tablet, and just as he yelled, "Incoming!", their attention was drawn to the wall, where little particles of what looked like earth started to swirl, slowly forming a mass that increased in density, until finally, a figure was standing before them. Before any of them could do something, he shot forward and knocked Bobbi to the floor. FitzSimmons, Mack and May started firing ICERs, but the Inhuman simply dissolved again, dodging every shot. In an instant, he had appeared in front of Fitz—Jemma yelled as the General bent his gun as if it was a straw. Lincoln reacted fast and shocked the other Inhuman, but before the electricity could do serious damage, he disappeared again.

Daisy nearly growled in frustration. "How are we supposed to—" Her words were abruptly cut off as she felt two hands grabbing her and lifting her up off the ground. She shrieked when he let go a few seconds after, feeling gravity tear her back down. Luckily, she'd saved Rosalind from a fall like that before, so her fall could've ended worse.

Mack helped her up and checked on Fitz while he was at it, but the engineer had already grabbed a new ICER and was looking dedicedly angry as well. None of them liked to be toyed with, and this Inhuman was doing a good job of it.

The particles started to gather again, but no one had a chance to do anything to prevent it, as a sudden gust of sand blew over them, temporarily incapacitating them.

When the dust had settled, no one moved a muscle anyway. Standing before them, looking exactly like he had the day they'd lost him, was—

"Trip," Daisy breathed, her voice loaded with hurt and disbelief. No one dared blink, afraid that this was some cruel mind trick or psychic ability, but it was him.

At least, at first glance it was. He didn't seem to recognize any of them, and his gaze was cold as stone instead of twinkling, as everyone had come to associate him with. 

"Leave or die," he ordered them, but still no one reacted. Coulson looked pale as a ghost, and Jemma had her hand clasped over her mouth.

"Trip," Fitz tried, his voice shaking, "It's us. Do you remember who we are?"

Trip's eyes settled on him, and not long after he scanned the room, a frown forming between his eyebrows. Soon he was clutching his head, a part of his mind unlocking, and the images he'd seen earlier and all those times before now finally made sense.

_A hand enclosing his fist and him chuckling about it._

_"I'd want you on my team." and a two-finger salute._

"FitzSimmons," he replied, eyes shining brightly for a moment in recognition, then turning dark again. He straightened up and tilted his head. "Maybe you two should be the first to die."

"Agent Triplett, stand down," Coulson told him firmly, though his face betrayed his uncertainty.

As if on cue, Trip was clutching at his head again.

_Teasing the Brit with the Cavalry nearby. Hunter. May._

_"I bring the noise and the funk wherever I go, Sir." Coulson._

_"Come on, girl, you know I look good." Skye._

"Skye," he repeated out loud, sounding desperate as the memories overwhelmed him. "You have to help me."

No one knew what to do. Everyone was in shock, not understanding how this could've happened or that Hydra had gotten one of their own again. First Akela Amador, then Mike Peterson, and now—

In an instant, however, Trip sank to his knees as a visible current ran through him. Bobbi turned to Lincoln, who quickly raised his hands in surrender, affirming it wasn't his doing.

"What's happening?" Daisy asked of no one in particular, but Fitz was already tapping away at his tablet, Jemma hovering over his shoulder. 

"It's probably Malick," he replied hastily, "I can see some sort of device in his head."

"He's controling him," Coulson concluded, feeling the anger rise within him. They would get Trip out and bring him to safety, if it was the last thing he did.

"Lincoln," Jemma addressed him, and she could see he was very overwhelmed by the whole thing, and she couldn't blame him—she would be too if she had the time for it. "Can you try to neutralise it, like you did with your tracker?"

"I can try," he replied, his features full of determination as he approached Trip as far as he could. With Fitz giving him instructions, he carefully zapped a spot near Trip's neck, and as Mack and Hunter rushed to help him, they were beaten to the punch by Jemma and Daisy, who both hugged and supported him at the same time.

"We need get out of here," Coulson told May, "We can't risk him losing himself again."

"Agreed," she said, taking point beside Daisy as Mack and Hunter supported Trip, Fitz and Simmons behind them, already trying to check up on their friend with the DWARFS. Bobbi and Lincoln brought up the rear with Coulson. "Let's move."

\---

An hour later, they were aboard the Zephyr One again, but the plane was mostly silent as Trip was quietly being questioned by Jemma and Bobbi. They had all taken a moment to check up on him and let him know that this was the best thing that happened to them in a while, but there would be time for long talks and hugs later, after he'd gotten his bearings himself.

Meanwhile, Daisy was trying to hack into the computer systems they'd detected in the base, trying to find any information or any sign of what had happened to their friend. No one had a decent explanation to offer, and for now all they really cared about was that they had gotten him out of there.

Of course, Coulson had known Malick wouldn't just let them get away with it, and soon Daisy's hack was overriden and Malick himself appeared on screen, grinning maliciously.

"Well, Coulson," he began, "Looks like you've met the General."

"I have nothing to say to you except that you're the lowest kind of human scum, and you'll lose, Malick," Coulson countered, as fierce as they'd ever seen him. His fists were clenched white. "Unlike you, we believe in loyalty. You can't erase the light from our people."

"Believe in what you will, Agent Coulson," Malick replied, seeming unperturbed by this setback. "We have no shortage of powerful Inhumans."

"Now, neither do we."

"And I was never a General," Trip spoke up, appearing behind the Director. Trip's eyes were steely, but he didn't raise his voice and it made Coulson less tense as well. "No matter what you called me, I've always been an Agent, _asshole_ ," Trip added, his eyebrows knitted together in anger.

"Language," Coulson said slyly, "Next time we see you, it won't end well for you, Malick. You can count on that. SHIELD out," he added, punching his prosthetic hand through the screen where Malick's face had just been, surprising Trip.

Flexing his hand, he exhaled. "Yeah, you've missed a lot."

\---

After Jemma and Fitz examined Trip, they relayed their findings to Coulson, who went to talk to Trip after he'd rested a bit. "That device needs to be removed," he said, watching Trip rub the spot where it was located beneath his skin absent-mindedly. "I guess you want that done sooner rather than later?"

"Hell yes, Sir."

"Then I'll leave you in the very capable hands of FitzSimmons," Coulson told him, smiling lightly and grabbing his shoulder briefly. "I'll come and see you when it's done."

Trip nodded in gratitude and turned to the biochemist and engineer.

"My favourite scientists. I'm all yours Have you guys kissed yet?"

They both turned beet red at his question, both stammering and spluttering a bit. Trip raised his eyebrows at Daisy, who grinned mischievously.

"Guys, come on," he said eagerly. "Give a mind-controlled Inhuman something to cheer him up!"

May smiled at the scene. Over and over again, the younger members of the team had managed to surprise and impress her with their strength and resilience, and this time was no different. Before he could follow them out of the door, she called out to Trip. "Can we get you anything?"

Trip smiled brilliantly, and while they knew he would have to deal without everything very soon and some difficult times were ahead, the sight made the team a bit more confident. This was a win—they'd take it.

"Yes, Agent May," he replied giddily, "I'm going to need a lot of junk to put in the temple."

Even Coulson couldn't suppress a chuckle.


End file.
